Network as a service using virtual nodes

Abstract

The techniques describe a network device comprising one or more processors configured to: receive configuration data configuring a plurality of virtual network nodes, wherein the configuration data configures a virtual client node including a corresponding line card having a port connected to a first customer network device, and configures a virtual core node including a corresponding line card having a port connected to a core network; provision a layer-2 (L2) circuit that includes, as an access interface, an interface logically connecting the virtual client node and virtual core node, wherein the L2 circuit provides connectivity between the virtual client node and a remote virtual client node; and forward, via the L2 circuit, packets between the virtual client node and the remote virtual client node to realize a logical network between the first customer network device and a second customer network device connected to the remote virtual PE node.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a controller comprising one or more processors configured to receive a request to provide connectivity across a network; 
 a first network device configured to:
 receive, from the controller, first configuration data configuring a plurality of virtual network nodes within the first network device to operate as separate logical routers, wherein the plurality of virtual network nodes within the first network device comprises:
 a first virtual client node including a corresponding line card that has a port connected to a first customer network device, and 
 a first virtual core node including a corresponding line card that has a port connected to a core network; 
 
 provision an access interface within the first network device for a layer-2 (L2) circuit to logically connect the first virtual client node and the first virtual core node across a first switch fabric interconnecting the corresponding line card of the first virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the first virtual core node; and 
 
 a second network device configured to:
 receive, from the controller, second configuration data configuring a plurality of virtual network nodes within the second network device, wherein the plurality of virtual network nodes within the second network device comprises:
 a second virtual client node including a corresponding line card that has a port connected to a second customer network device; 
 a second virtual core node including a corresponding line card that has a port connected to the core network, 
 
 provision an access interface within the second network device for the L2 circuit to logically connect the second virtual client node and the second virtual core node, 
 
 wherein the L2 circuit provides connectivity between the first virtual client node and the second virtual client node across a second switch fabric interconnecting the corresponding line card of the second virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the second virtual core node, 
 wherein the first network device and the second network device are configured to forward, via the L2 circuit, packets between the first virtual client node and the second virtual client node to realize a logical network between the first customer network device and the second customer network device. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the L2 circuit comprises a first L2 circuit, 
 wherein the access interface within the first network device comprises a first access interface within the first network device; 
 wherein the access interface within the second network device comprises a first access interface within the second network device; 
 wherein the plurality of virtual network nodes within the first network device further comprises a third virtual client node including a corresponding line card having a port connected to a third customer network device, 
 wherein the first network device is further configured to:
 provision a second access interface within the first network device for a second L2 circuit to logically connect the third virtual client node and the first virtual core node across the first switch fabric, the first switch fabric interconnecting the corresponding line card of the third virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the first virtual core node, 
 
 wherein the plurality of virtual network nodes within the second network device further comprises a fourth virtual client node including a corresponding line card having a port connected to a fourth customer network device, 
 wherein the second network device is further configured to:
 provision a second access interface within the second network device for the second L2 circuit to logically connect the fourth virtual client node and the second virtual core node across the second switch fabric, the second switch fabric interconnecting the corresponding line card of the fourth virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the second virtual core node, wherein the second L2 circuit provides connectivity between the third virtual client node and the fourth virtual client node, and 
 
 wherein the first network device and the second network device are configured to forward, via the second L2 circuit, packets between the third virtual client node and the fourth virtual client node to realize a second logical network between the third customer network device and the fourth customer network device. 
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first L2 circuit is separate from the second L2 circuit. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first virtual client node is isolated from the second virtual client node. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the access interface within the first network device comprises a first abstracted fabric interface that provides a layer 2 link between the corresponding line card of the first virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the first virtual core node, and 
 wherein the interface within the second network device comprises a second abstracted fabric interface that provides a layer 2 link between the corresponding line card of the second virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the second virtual core node. 
 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 send, in response to provisioning the first L2 circuit, a first network address of the first virtual client node to the first customer network device and a second network address of the second virtual client node to the second customer network device. 
 
     
     
       7. A method comprising:
 receiving, by a first network device, configuration data to configure a plurality of virtual network nodes within the first network device to operate as separate logical routers,
 wherein the configuration data causes the first network device to configure a first virtual client node from the plurality of virtual network nodes including a corresponding line card that has a port connected to a first customer network device, 
 wherein the configuration data causes the first network device to configure a first virtual core node from the plurality of virtual network nodes including a corresponding line card that has a port connected to a core network that includes the first network device; 
 
 provisioning, by the first network device, an access interface within the first network device for a Layer-2 (L2) circuit to logically connect the first virtual client node and the first virtual core node across a first switch fabric interconnecting the corresponding line card of the first virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the first virtual core node, wherein the L2 circuit provides connectivity between the first virtual client node and a remote client node of a second network device that is remote to the first network device; and 
 forwarding, by the first network device and via the L2 circuit, packets between the first virtual client node and the remote client node to realize a logical network between the first customer network device and a second customer network device connected to the remote client node. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the remote client node comprises a second virtual client node. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the configuration data comprises a first configuration data, and wherein the remote client node comprises a second virtual client node, the method further comprising:
 receiving, by the second network device, second configuration data to configure a plurality of virtual network nodes within the second network device to operate as separate logical routers,
 wherein the second configuration data causes the second network device to configure the second virtual client node from the plurality of virtual network nodes including a corresponding line card that has a port connected to the second customer network device, 
 wherein the second configuration data causes the second network device to configure a second virtual core node from the plurality of virtual network nodes including a corresponding line card for that has a port connected to the core network that includes the second network device; 
 
 provisioning, by the second network device, an access interface within the second network device for the L2 circuit to logically connect the second virtual client node and the second virtual core node across a second switch fabric interconnecting the corresponding line card of the second virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the second virtual core node, wherein the L2 circuit provides connectivity between the first virtual client node and the second virtual client node; and 
 forwarding, by the second network device and via the L2 circuit, packets between the second virtual client node and the first virtual client node to realize the logical network between the second customer network device and the first customer network device. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the access interface within the first network device comprises a first abstracted fabric interface that provides a Layer-2 link between the corresponding line card of the first virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the first virtual core node, and 
 wherein the access interface within the second network device comprises a second abstracted fabric interface that provides a Layer-2 link between the corresponding line card of the second virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the second virtual core node. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the L2 circuit comprises a first L2 circuit, 
 wherein the access interface within the first network device comprises a first access interface within the first network device; 
 wherein the access interface within the second network device comprises a first access interface within the second network device; 
 wherein the first configuration data causes the first network device to configure a third virtual client node including a corresponding line card having a port connected to a third customer network device, and wherein the logical network comprises a first logical network, the method further comprising: 
 provisioning, by the first network device, a second access interface for a second L2 circuit to logically connect the third virtual client node and the first virtual core node across the first switch fabric, the first switch fabric interconnecting the corresponding line card of the third virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the first virtual core node, wherein the second L2 circuit provides connectivity between the third virtual client node and a fourth virtual client node within the second network device; and 
 forwarding, by the first network device and via the second L2 circuit, packets between the third virtual client node and the fourth virtual client node to realize a second logical network between the third customer network device and a fourth customer network device connected to the fourth virtual client node. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first L2 circuit is separate from the second L2 circuit. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first virtual client node is isolated from the third virtual client node. 
     
     
       14. A network device comprising:
 one or more processors configured to:
 receive configuration data to configure a plurality of virtual network nodes within the network device to operate as separate logical routers,
 wherein the configuration data causes the network device to configure a virtual client node from the plurality of virtual network nodes including a corresponding line card that has a port connected to a first customer network device, 
 wherein the configuration data causes the network device to configure a virtual core node from the plurality of virtual network nodes including a corresponding line card that has a port connected to a core network that includes the network device; 
 
 provision an access interface within the network device for a Layer-2 (L2) circuit to logically connect the virtual client node and the virtual core node across a switch fabric interconnecting the corresponding line card of the virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the virtual core node, wherein the L2 circuit provides connectivity between the virtual client node and a remote client node of a remote network device; and 
 forward, via the L2 circuit, packets between the virtual client node and the remote client node to realize a logical network between the first customer network device and a second customer network device connected to the remote client node. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The network device of  claim 14 , wherein the remote client node comprises a remote virtual client node. 
     
     
       16. The network device of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the L2 circuit comprises a first L2 circuit, 
 wherein the access interface within the network device comprises a first access interface within the network device; 
 wherein the virtual client node comprises a first virtual client node, and wherein the configuration data causes the network device to configure a second virtual client node from the plurality of virtual network nodes including a corresponding line card that has a port connected to a third customer network device, the one or more processors further configured to:
 provision a second access interface within the network device for a second L2 circuit to logically connect the second virtual client node and the virtual core node across the switch fabric, the switch fabric interconnecting the corresponding line card of the second virtual client node and the corresponding line card of the virtual core node, wherein the second L2 circuit provides connectivity between the second virtual client node and a second remote client node of the remote network device; and 
 forward, via the second L2 circuit, packets between the second virtual client node and the second remote client node to realize a second logical network between the third customer network device and a fourth customer network device connected to the second remote client node. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The network device of  claim 16 , wherein the first L2 circuit is separate from the second L2 circuit. 
     
     
       18. The network device of  claim 16 , wherein the first virtual client node is isolated from the second virtual client node. 
     
     
       19. The network device of  claim 14 ,
 wherein the access interface within the network device comprises an abstracted fabric interface that provides a Layer-2 link between one or more line cards the corresponding line card of the virtual client node and one or more line cards the corresponding line card of the virtual core node.